Adhd misinformation on Tiktok is common. Here’s how to present it
With limited access to mental health care, people who respond to ADHD are turning to Tiktok, where information is often misleading or wrong
Mihailomilovanovic/Getty Pictures
On Tiktok, the video about the activism disorder (ADHD) of attention is delicious; It is one of the most popular health related subjects on the app continuously. People often share reliable materials about their own experiences with the situation, and many adults reported to learn ADHD by watching these videos.
But misinformation about ADHD is also common, a group of psychology researchers said on Wednesday One more. At the time of this study, about the subject of the subject in the 100 most popular tiktok video, Only half claims about symptoms According to the evaluation made by two clinical psychologists, the main clinical norms of ADHD reflected. The other half of the claims were largely over -abused, misleading or wrong, but often presented with confidence and without nuances.
Conclusions do not mean that these videos are deliberately misleading or even completely unexpected, but researchers emphasized the need for caution in interpreting them and making them internal.
On supporting science journalism
If you are enjoying this article, consider supporting our award winning journalism Subscribe By purchasing a membership, you are helping to ensure the future of impressive stories about discoveries and ideas that shape our world.
“These videos have an incredible access and are very popular,” a PhD, a PhD, says Vasilia Karasavawa, the lead author of the new study. Students in clinical psychology at British Columbia University. “I think our studies have been taped that people are struggling, and people are trying to understand themselves better in the context of ADHD”, she says. But it is important and expensive to get support through the mental health care system, she notes – and it inspires people to get information on social media, where it can be difficult to assess whether they are learning or not supported by clinical experience and research.
Karsavva and his colleagues evaluated the top 100 videos on January 10, 2023 under Tikok’s #ADHD tag. The study co-writer, including two psychologists, which were diagnosed and treated with at least 20 years of experience, then evaluated several claims of videos about symptoms and treatment. Researchers found that 55.6 percent of the claims of ADHD remedies were not empirically supported and about 51.3 percent of the claims did not reflect a core diagnostic ADHD symptoms as specified by the latest version Clinical and Statistics Rules of mental disorders – booklet ,DSM-5,,
Of the noncore symptoms claims, only 5.6 percent referred to issues that are associated with ADHD, such as working memory problems, based on empirical research. Most of the symptoms are referred to which are associated with other conditions – or, in the case of 68.5 percent of these claims, which doctors of the study understood the “general human experience”. For example, often collides in furniture, the same song was presented repeatedly or sweet teeth were usually presented as an indication of ADHD in the video. But they are not, tell Karsavva.
“You can sometimes find a grain of truth”, Lorenzo Lorenzo-Luce, a psychologist Lorenzo Lorno-Luce, a psychologist at Indiana University Bloomington, says Lorenzo Luce, who study online misinformation, but was not included in the new paper. But these can often be increased more to “loose connections”, which are usually based on people’s personal experiences. Incorrect information research suggests that people are more likely to believe in claims that they are repeatedly exposed – whether they trust the source at that time or not – they say.
Some of the few non-symptoms presented as ADHD indicators can also show the active areas of scientific debate, called Lorenzo-Luce. For example, there are problems with emotional regulation Rapidly recognized As a common experience among people with ADHD, but not part of official clinical norms.
The video often leads to a lack of nuances in presenting symptoms, however, the researchers found. Only 4 percent of the videos admitted that the symptoms they mentioned do not apply to all with ADHD, and even less mentioned that people can also experience those symptoms without ADHD. In the video where people recalled their own personal experience, it was related to the lack of nuances. But in others, the information was presented as blanket facts. For example, a video about the formation of the habit began with a manufacturer, stating, “Just a quick reminder that you do anything with ADHD have a 100 percent relay rate.” Difficulty in creating habits is not necessarily associated with ADHD, the researchers say, and such absolute statements have the ability to mislevate or even harm those who are trying to know about themselves.
Such a very high -level confidence can be a red flag that someone is providing exaggerated or incorrect information about ADHD, says Karasavawa. A clear financial incentive may be another warning signal. The team found that 50 percent of the most popular video creators were directly selling donations or products or services, such as fidgate spinners, workbooks or coaching services.
“We still think that, for a vast part of (creators), his intentions were pure,” says Karsavawa. But online platforms often encourage creators to post quick and recreational videos – and to do so – which can “create some obstacles to create materials that have been very well researched and in nuances.”
If an ADHD is what it is and how it can appear in their lives, Karsavawa recommends a specialist to talk to a mental health provider. But she also throws light on the fact that receiving a diagnosis can be a luxurious, time -consuming, expensive and complex process that can be very difficult for people with ADHD to navigate.
And this process can be worse for people in historically weaker groups because many ADHD clinical criteria and treatment were developed on the basis of how the situation appeared in white men. Karsavawa says, “This diagnosis has missed color and women. So I am not making a mistake to anyone,” I do not trust the system because the system was not made for me. “
Karasavva says that people will continue to rely very much on social media for important mental health information, until the care is more accessible and justified, she says: “Nothing will change if the system does not change and becomes more accessible to those who need support,” Karsavawa says.
